Show me one single, isolated tree in a Appalachian forest…
Biological implications of change
Philosophical implications of change
Every time community composition changes (by species gains, losses, or altered timing, strength, or type of interactions), shit happens
This is what we are doing on (and to) the planet
Individual species move, adjust, adapt, die and we care about that, but it’s the cascading effects that can unravel the biosphere as we know it
Obvious examples like co-extinction where direct interaction partners influence each other
e.g., most vulnerable are obligate interaction partners (can be hosts/mutualists, predators/prey, plants/herbivores prey, hosts/parasites, etc.)
And this doesn’t need to be a top-down keystone predator; it can be a bottom-up effect
Humans move worms, via dirty ship ballast, horticultural plants, mulch and fishing bait. European earthworms live on every continent except Antarctica.
And these biotic interaction chains are actually embedded in complex biotic interaction webs
And these biotic interaction chains are actually embedded in biotic interaction webs plus complex abiotic interactions (Chap 10)
So we come back to… Nothing exists in isolation
Biological implications of change
Philosophical implications of change
Web of life is not some cheesy new-age idea
It’s also not just a scientific concept
It’s represented in cultures around the world
And it is quite simply: TRUTH
The implications are staggering
Even in modern social media culture, can you separate YOU from everything else?
The problem is that we feel isolated
It is not only about the physical planet Earth, it is about OUR bodies, minds, spirits, and relationships that are being trashed and polluted
We are being told that we are isolated, not good enough, not important to the big picture
But it’s not true
We have to start telling – and believing - a different story
To make progress we must bustdown some of the walls of separation!
What are the impediments to feeling connected?
In our societies?
In our classrooms?
In our psyches?
Others?
Choose a subject to write about or find an article to discuss
Submit an short paragraph of your conclusions to Brightspace for participation